Steam iron safety filler cap



Ju'ev 17, 1958 z. A. M. BuRREsoN 2,838,859

STEAM IRON SAFETY FILLER CAP Filed April 16, 1954 man uw n l nred Statesatet dce STEAM rnoN sAFErY FILLER CAP Zina A. M. Burreson, Sheboygan,Wis., assignor to Dominion Electric Corporation Application April 16,1954, Serial No. 423,597

3 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) This invention relates generally to electric steamirons adapted to contain water from which steam is generated in a steamchamber from whence it is distributed to an ironing surface.

An important object is the provision of a closure for the steam dome inthe form of a stopper to normally close the same and which is readilyremovable as an ordinary stopper for the replenishment of water, and isalso movable relative to the steam dome to serve as a safety steamrelief valve.

Another important object is the provision of steam operated valve meansenclosed entirely within the steam dome or the contines of the ironhandle.

Another object is the provision of an indicator device which willapprise the operator when excessive lsteam is generated.

A still further object is the provision of sealing means for apiston-type valve arrangement which frictionally engages the walls ofthe steam dome to prevent accidental displacement'of the valve underordinary working conditions and to form a degree of resistance to themovement of the valve until an excess of steam pressure is generatedwithin the dome as requires relief.

A further object is the provision of a closure cap of simple andinexpensive construction which will most effectively perform theforegoing functions.

. Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be hadby referring to the following descrip- ,tion and claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the forward end of a steam iron,withparts thereof shown in Vertical section to illustrate the innerconstruction;V

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the forward end of theiron handle;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of theimproved closure or iiller cap;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the forward end of theiron handle illustrating a modified form of ller cap and valve means;and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of thismodified form of cap or closure.

This invention is an improvement upon steam irons such as disclosed inmy copending application, Serial No.- 395,410, tiled December l, 1953,and parts illustrated herein which correspond with parts of thecopending application are designated with corresponding referencenumerals. While the present invention can he used in connection with anytype of steam iron, it is illustrated in connection with theconstruction of my prior iron. Only that much of the construction of thecopending application that is employed for illustration of the presentinvention will be briefly described herein; and for a further detaileddescription of these parts, reference is made to the copendingapplication. For the purposes of the present invention, it is sufficientto state that the body of an iron canl include generally a casingenclosing or forming a water reservoir 13 heated by an electricalheating element 12 incorporated in a sole plate 10 having an ironingsurface 11. This surface is provided with steam ejection ports 6,0 and63 which are fed with steam through fittings 42 and 55 from a steam tube38 extending through the reservoir 13 and concentrically into a waterfiller tube 19. This tube 19 eX- tends vertically through a forwardpedestal or column 33 of insulating material which is integrallyconnected by a portion 22 of an insulating handle or hand-grippingportion 21 of the iron.

A sleeve nut 25 is threaded upon the upper end of the tube 19 to formthe steam dome 20 and to fasten the pedestal 33 of the iron handle 21 tothe body of the iron. This nut near its upper end is provided with aseries of radial equi-distantly spaced steam escape ports or avenues25'; there being four illustrated in the present embodiment. It will benoted that the sides of the nut 25 have clearances with the side wallsof a recess 7G in which it seats to cooperate in forming relief avenues.The top end of this sleeve nut is chamfered and diametrically slit asshown and is arrangedabove the top of this recess 70. The sides of theforward end of the handle 21 and its Connecting portion 22 have ahorizontal cross-sectional shape corresponding with a top plan of afilter and closure cap 71 of insulating material. The forward end of thehandle and its connecting portion are provided with a recess 72 having aslanting rear wall 73 to abut a correspondingly slanted rear wall 74 ofthe cap 71, when the latter is closed. When this cap is positioned onthe sleeve 25 in a closed position, the top and side surfaces of thiscap are flush with the exterior surfaces of the top and sides of thehandle 21 and connecting portion 22.

This filler and closure cap 71 is provided with a piston likearrangement to frictionally and slidably engage the inner surface of thesleeve nut 25 and to cooperate with thessteam relief ports 25' inproviding a safety vent valve, a sensual indicator, as well as a stopperwhich can be readily removed for the pouring of water through the fillertube 19 to replenish water in the reservoir 13. The preferred embodimentof the piston is illustrated in Figures l to 3, wherein the underside ofthe cap 71 has a depending circular boss 75 to be fastened in a circulardepression in the upper closed end of a rubberlike piston plug or cup 76by means of a metal washer 77 bearing against the closed top of the cupand a screw 7S extending through a central opening in the top of the cupand threaded into the boss 75. By tightening this screw, the body of thecup 76 can be radially expanded for a tighter lit in the sleeve nut 25,and by loosening the screw, pressure. on the washer and cup can berelieved, allowing the diameter of the cup to contract for easiersliding movement in the sleeve nut. The rub.- ber-like cup 76 isprovided with an integral depending flexible skirt 79 of frusto-conicalexternal form. The lower end of this skirt is chamfered as at 80 toslide upon the chamfered end of the sleeve nut 25 as the cap is beingplaced upon the iron and to llex the skirt 79 inwardly to enter itwithin the sleeve. The piston cup 76 will be forced into the sleeve 25like an ordinary vstopper to cause the skirt to frictionally engage thesleeve walls below the ports 25 to close them, at which time the rearwall '74 of the cap will snugly engage the inclined wall 73 of thehandle and the bottom surface of the cap 71 will rest upon the bottom ofthe recess '72 in the handle as shown in Figure 1. The inherentresiliency of the skirt 79 will cause it to firmly and frictionallyengage the walls of the sleeve nut below the ports 25. The convergingtapers on the skirt can be varied to form either a line contact or anextended surface contact with the walls of the sleeve nut to establishthe desired degree of frictional contact therewith.

25 to the pressure to relieve it. Progressive opening of the'ports 215will occur as the closure is moved upwardly by steam pressure, as willbe understood, and the closure will remain in its steamadjusted-position in the sleeve until it is repositioned by theoperator. As the closure cap or ller plug 71 is raised by the steampressure, it will move upwardly out of the general contour of thegripping portion of the handle 21, so that an operators thumb restingupon the cap will-give a sensual indication that an excess steampressure point is being reached or that the reservoir 13 requires waterreplenishment.

To replenish the reservoir 13 with water, the closure cap is removed, asa stopper would be, from the sleeve nut and filler tube 19, to permitwater to enter from a faucet and pass through the tube into thereservoir, after which the cap 71 is replaced, in true stopper fashion,until the cap 71 is flush with the handle at which time the Wallengaging portion of the skirt 79 will be disposed below the relief ports25 to close them and cut off communication of the steam dome 2G with theatmosphere, ready for subsequent safety steam pressure relief. Steampressure in the dome 24) will exert radially outward pressure upon theskirt 79 to force it into sealing engagement with `the walls of thesteam dome.

A modified form of piston construction for the closure or filler cap 71is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 and is the same as disclosed in mycopending application. As disclosed therein, the filler cap is providedwith a circular depending stud 28 which has an end reduced in arcuatefashion to provide a shoulder 29 against which is seated an elasticrubber-like O-ring 3i). A metal washer 31 larger in diameter than thisreduced end is mounted on the end of the stud by means of a screw 32 andforms therewith a ring groove and an outer adjustable retaining wall toprevent accidental displacement of the O-ring. By tightening the screw32, the washer 31 will be forced against the O-ring to compress it tothe desired degree against the shoulder 29 and cause it to radiallyexpand variable distances beyond the periphery of the stud 2S to fitwithin the sleeve nut 25 and form a -steam seal therewith. In thepresent illustration, this sleeve nut 25 is like the corresponding nutof the preceding embodiment, provided with four equi-distantly 'l spacedsteam relief ports 25. When the closure cap is in a closed position uponthe iron, the O-ring fits snugly against the walls of the sleeve nut 25below the steam relief ports 25 to seal the steam dome 20, and the outersurfaces of the cap 71 are flush with the outer adjacent l surfaces ofthe handle to afford sensual rise of the cap caused by excessive steampressure and automatic venting thereof in the preceding form of theinvention.`

In both forms of the invention illustrated, it will be observed that anextremely simplified form of a combined filler or closure cap 71,automatic safety valve, and indicator have been provided all in the formof a single unit which is very simply and easily removable from andreplaceable upon the iron in the fashion of an ordinary stopper. It willalso be observed that the piston valve provided by this filler cap 71,when in closed position, is. enclosed entirely within the iron or steamdome to present an extremely neat and streamlined appearance. At thesame time, this piston formation on the closure cap '71 willeffectivelycooperate with the steam relief ports or avenues 25 in safely relievingthe iron of excess steam pressure; and at the same time, will operatethe cap, which actually forms a part or extension of the grippingportion of the handle, so that an operator in the act of using the ironwill be apprised of the degree 4` of steam pressure within the domeand/or the necessity for water replenishment to the reservoir.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form has been made only by Way of exampleand that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A steam iron having a body with a water reservoir, a handle includinga pedestal with a bore terminating in an upper enlarged shouldered end,said pedestal having a cap receiving recess at said enlarged shoulderedend, a tube secured to said reservoir and extending through said hollowpedestal to communicate with said reservoir and forming a steam chamberand filling passage for water to said reservoir, a sleeve secured tosaid tube within said pedestal and seated against said shouldered end ofsaid bore to secure'said handle to said body and to form a steam dome,said sleeve having a lateral steam escape port located between its endsin said recess, a closure for said sleeve frictionally and slidablyengaged with the walls thereof below said escape port to normally closesaid sleeve and escape port and which closure is adjrsted longitudinallyof said sleeve by steam pressure to open said escape port for thecontrolled release of excess steam pressure, said closure remaining insaid adjusted steam relief position relative to said sleeve to open saidport until re-positioned by an operator to close said escape port, andsaid closure having a cap portion received in said'recess and arrangedflush with said handle when said closure is positioned to close saidescape port andV being adjustable with said closure under theinfluenceof excessive steam pressure to-move said cap portion out ofsaid flush position with said handle where it remains untilre-positioned flush with said handle by an operator to thereby closesaid escape port.

2. A steam iron having an ironing surface and a water reservoirwith'asteam chamber to collect steam from'the heating of' water contained insaid reservoir, means for directingV steam produced from said steamchamber to said-ironingsurface, a handle including wall means defining aconduit having first and second end portions, said conduit communicatingwith said steam chamber and extending to said water reservoir to supplywater from exteriorly of said iron to said reservoir, a steam escapeport located between said first and second end portions of said conduit,a closure in said first end portion of said conduit and movable betweenfirst and second positions, said closure having deformable wall meansfrictionally engaging said wall means of said conduit in said first andsecond positions and in said first position located between said steamescape port and said second end portion of said conduit therebypreventing passage of steam through said steam escape port, said closurebeing exposed to steam pressure in said steamchamber and being movableto said second position upon build up of steam pressure to apredetermined level, saidv frictional engagement of said deformableclosure wall means with said conduit wall means maintaining said closurein said second position thereby permitting passage of steam through saidsteam escape port until moved to said first position by an operator, andsaid closure having a cap portion substantially flush with said handlein said rst closure position and movable out of said substantially`flush position upon build up of steam pressure to said predeterminedlevel until returned to said flush position by said operator.

3. A steam iron having an ironing surface and a water reservoir with asteam chamber to collect steam from the heating of water contained insaid reservoir, means for directing steam produced from said steamchamber to said ironing surface, a handle including wall means dening aconduit having rst and second end portions, said conduit communicatingwith said steam chamber and extending to said water reservoir to supplywater from exteriorly of said iron to said reservoir, a steam escapeport located between said rst and second end portions of said conduit, aclosure in said first end p0rtion of said conduit and movable betweentirst and second positions, said closure having deformable wall meansfrictionally engaging said wall means of said conduit in said rst andsecond positions and in said rst position located between said steamescape port and said second end portion of said conduit therebypreventing passage of rsteam through said steam escape port, saidclosure being exposed to steam pressure in said steam chamber and beingmovable to said second position upon build up of steam pressure to apredetermined level, said frictionalvengagement of said deformableclosure wall means with said conduit wall means maintaining said closurein said second position thereby permitting passage of steam through saidsteam escape port until moved to said first position by an operator.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS1,830,875 Izumiya Nov. 10, 1931 2,189,709 Deems s Feb. 6, 1940 2,279,215Theilgaard Apr. 7, 1942 2,432,205 Morton Dec. 9, 1947 2,596,608 ScottMay 13, 1952 2,662,316 Johnson Dec. 15, 1953

